Thursday, March 11, 2010

dōTERRA Essential Oils Review

Can I say - I am SO excited about this product? I am!!

Most of you already know about my love of essential oils. I use them most often in my baths after a long day in the garden to soothe my aching muscles (or after a lapse in exercise when I decide to return to it), for aromatic soaks when I'm feeling a little under the weather, and mixed with carrier oils as neck and chest rubs. I've even mentioned my two favorite books from which I get many of the basic formula mixes I use. I also love diffusing essential oils in the air, both for fragrance and especially for the sick room or as a sleep aid. I use them on the carpet, as room sprays, and have even used them in my laundry. {I have a post planned to share some of those formulas soon.}

There are as many applications for the use of essential oils as you can possibly imagine, but one area that I have not ventured into, though I knew about it, has been cooking with them, or taking them internally, both of which you can do with a high quality essential oil that is therapeutic grade certified as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the FDA. I was recently surprised to learn that none of the oils I have been purchasing all of these years are certified GRAS, so I have never ventured past the more common, external skin applications and aromatic use in the bath or by diffusing.

Then I met Joni, and learned a bit about dōTERRA essential oils. I have so much to say about these oils so bear with me - it'll be worth it! First a bit about this company.

dōTERRA seems to be a visionary company, combining a wealth of knowledge from health care and business professionals who each had a strong belief in the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils and who wanted to bring a new standard of high quality, therapeutic-grade essential oils to the masses, instead of only in the hands of the professionals.

dōTERRA, which means literally 'Gift of the Earth,' are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade™ essential oils, guaranteed to be 100% pure and natural and free of synthetic compounds or contaminates. They are the safest, purest, and most beneficial essential oils available today, gently and skillfully distilled from plants that have been patiently harvested at the perfect moment by experienced growers from around the world for ideal extract composition and efficacy. Experienced essential oil users will immediately recognize dōTERRA's superior quality standard for naturally safe, purely effective therapeutic-grade essential oils. The casual home users are going to be in for a pleasant and fragrant surprise!

Before taking any oil internally, always check its references and determine that it is certified as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) by the FDA. Most dōTERRA essential oils are GRAS.

Joni sent me one full bottle of product and several other samples of some of dōTERRA's more popular blended essential oils. I received a full sized bottle of On Guard™ blend, a blend of immune enhancing oils, plus throat drops and some hand sanitizing wipes in that same blend, as well as samples sizes of Deep Blue®, DigestZen™, and Elevation™.

The very first thing that I noticed about dōTERRA® oils was how highly fragrant they were. The four blends I had the opportunity to try all smell amazing and not overpowering. They are clean, fresh and wonderfully fragrant. I was very interested in trying the On Guard™ blend since I work from home now. Because of that, I'm not around a wide range of people to be exposed to common, everyday germs like I once was, and my immune system is not as resistant as it once was. The result of that is that I seem to pick up viruses easy now, and virtually every time I go to visit with my grandchildren, I end up with a bit of a bug within a day from my visit, I assume from common germs that they are picking up from other children. On Guard™ is a blend of wild orange, clove, cinnamon, eucalyptus and rosemary essential oils, all immune supporters. It can be used topically, taken internally as a dietary aid, and can also be diffused aromatically into the air, or to wipe off countertops, door handles, and more.

Now, before I go visit, I drop a single drop of the On Guard™ blend into a small coffee cup of warm water and take it. I repeat that when I get home. I honestly have not gotten sick again following my visits, and that hasn't happened since the babies have been old enough to be around other kids. Amazing. While the cold and flu season is winding down, germs never go away, so if you are concerned about the spreading of germs and viruses like most of us, this might be the oil for you to try.

Many years ago - pre-seat belt enforcement days - when I was a teenager, I was a passenger in an automobile wreck that threw me into the windshield, and left me with a whiplash injury that causes a lot of stiffness in my neck. I've used a bit of the Deep Blue® blend, on the back of my neck and it brings immediate relief. Deep Blue® is a for topical use only and is a blend of wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum and osmanthus, and produces that sort of icy/hot sensation and penetrating muscle relief as those over the counter products, but with a much more pleasant aroma. With gardening season coming up, I could frankly use a vat of this stuff - now if only I can figure out how to get my husband to give me a massage with it!

Another thing that affects me physically are changes in the weather. The last two recent cold fronts that moved through left me with one of those horrible, splitting headaches - the kind that will not go away with any over the counter meds for some reason. I generally just have to suffer through them until they finally go away. I happened to have one of those headaches when I thought I might have recalled something about the Deep Blue® blend helping with headaches. I applied some of the oil on my temples, forehead and on the back of my neck and didn't think about it until later when I realized that my headache was gone. I could not believe it!

I have only used the DigestZen™ twice, the first time right after the Super Bowl, when I had eaten very unbalanced, overindulged on party food and wasn't feeling quite up to par - digestively speaking. Let's just say, my tummy was very unhappy and I was just a bit miserable. DigestZen™ blend contains essential oils that are helpful with balancing the digestive system, including, ginger, peppermint, tarragon, fennel, caraway, coriander and anise. So I put a drop of the DigestZen™ blend into a cup of warm water and drank it. DigestZen™ can be used as a topical, an aromatic, or as a dietary aid.

I have to be honest and say that I did have a small reaction to it, as I began to itch all over. Now there could be two reasons for this. First I was using a sample and had a bit of difficulty getting it to dispense. I could have used a tad too much. I've used all of those ingredients before with no reaction so I know it wasn't an allergic reaction, but I've used enough natural products to understand that a reaction like this is sometimes an indication of an imbalance of some kind in the body, and the whole "itch" response could have been a detoxifying indication. But ... I have to say, despite the itching, my stomach felt much better near immediately. I was sure happy about that and the itching did subside fairly quick.

The second time I used it, I had eaten a second helping {I didn't need} of a rich and delicious food I had made (have I mentioned I'm a food blogger?) and had a bit of stomach upset. This time I didn't experience that itching sensation at all, and the indigestion subsided in minutes. I tell you - I've never seen anything like these oils.

I had not tried the Elevation™ blend - thinking I didn't need my mood elevated. My mood has been fine, thank you very much. Until the melt-down over the burning-leaf-neighbor occurred that is. So I decided to give it a try. Now this particular oil is a topical and aromatic application only, so to be honest, I still need to figure out the best application, but I applied some to the palm of my hands and sort of smudged it all over my lower face, neck and upper chest as we were about to go outside and rake the yard.

It was later in the evening when my husband commented about my "happy mood" that day as I was telling him yet another funny story and I realized that I had been laughing and felt well, a bit elated, instead of feeling overworked, fussy and tired (have I mentioned I'm not only am I a food blogger but I'm also a mommy to one four legged nine month old and another one year old?) . Wow. Elevation™ is a blend of lavandin, tangerine, elemi, lemon myrtle, melissa, ylang ylang, osmanthus and sandalwood, essential oils that can elevate your mood and increase your energy. I am definitely ordering this one!

I love these oils and dōTERRA sells all of these essential oil blends, and several other blends as well. The TerraShield® Repellent Blend is an all-natural, super-concentrated insect repellent - with the bugs around here, I am definitely getting some of this. Whisper™ is a blend of essential oils that helps to bring out our feminine beauty and allure. Serenity is a calming blend of lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood and vanilla bean - oils that promote a sense of well-being and relaxation - seems perfect for evening application. And there are loads more.

They also offer a multitude of single oils, as well as well thought-out kits to provide you with some basic collections of more common oils, making it easier for a beginner to learn to use the oils. There are wellness supplements of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and a vitamin/mineral complex, plus special formulas for probiotic, gastrointestinal support, muscle and joint support and a special formula for women. They also have a skin care line, hand sanitizers and On Guard™ Foaming Hand Wash - a gentle, healthy alternative to harsh antibacterial soaps made with synthetic ingredients. Click right here and then click on "Shop for Products" to view the full dōTERRA line.

Many of the single oils dōTERRA sells are familiar in the kitchen, and the same places that you use dried spices like ginger, cinnamon and peppermint - such as in cookies and cakes, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, marjoram in meats, casseroles, and marinades - you can use dōTERRA line of GRAS quality oils. This is a step beyond dried herbs and even fresh, because it is a concentrated oil. Finding this amazing source of quality oils that can be used for dietary purposes is opening a whole new door for me. If you are interested in purchasing these wonderful oils right now, click right here to view the product catalog.

I hope that you've enjoyed this review. Thanks so much for reading - the hosted giveaway has ended. Now ... for the fun stuff!!

Sorry - the giveaway is over! Joni would like to offer one reader the opportunity to try essential oils by offering one Introduction to Essential Oils Kit, which includes an introductory audio CD, a booklet, and a 5 ml bottle each of dōTERRA's Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oils - three of my most used and favorite oils. The presentation box also includes some suggested uses of the included oils. This is a great package and a fantastic way to get started with learning about essential oils.

Roll call here first by posting a comment. Then visit this link and leave a comment on that post saying that you read about dōTERRA here at the My New 30 blog. Important: You must mention the review here at My New 30 in your comment to qualify for the giveaway. That's it!Open to everyone, including international readers! Good luck.Closes Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. CST. One winner will be chosen and announced on Joni's blog on the following Monday.

Please note. This review addresses only my personal experiences with several dōTERRA Essential Oil blends. While dōTERRA also has a business opportunity, I did not research that and do not address that in my review. If you are interested in finding out more about the business opportunity, please contact doTERRA for more information.

Disclaimer. The advice shared in this site has not been evaluated by the FDA. The products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease, nor is it intended to replace proper medical help.

Wow, what an amazing review of essential oils. I love quality essential oils and have fully witnessed their effecacy and power. doTERRA essential oils are as quality a product that you can find, backed by amazing executive that believe in and use their own product. Thanks for the article!

Hi there,I found you on the sitsgirls site and decided to check out your post on essential oils - quite impressive. I like essential oils and should try this new product you mention. Who knew there was so much you could do with them? Thanks!Cheers,E

Great review Mary. Big fan of essential oils. My thoughts on the FDA, never mind them, they are not so reliable anyway. Look at all the side effects these new drugs have. You know it's bad when most say, "May cause death" lol

Essential Oils, what a fabulous topic. I/we get the headaches here in Ohio too when the weather changes, and the barometr goes up/down. You are right nothing works till that settles down. Do they sell the mood lightner in a gallon size? I could be a candidate for that one too...a little mood enhancement...:) The bunny picture,if you look to the right of the basket, near the 2 bunnies on the right, you will see what looks like my name or something close to it..see the F and then the A? I thought it was a funny coincidence...you are the only one who commented..I wonder why? Are people to busy to stop and visit? Isn't that why we do this? I thought about closing it down all together yesterday and calling it a day...and just following my buddies on my own, and contributing nothing.. Did you say mood enhancer? see what I mean...thanks for sharing..and for stopping by my place, and for the introduction to the essential oils..I believe there is something to all the natural things which were put here by God,and pharmaceuticals.

Welcome & thanks for taking the time to comment! From time to time, comment moderation may be activated due to comment spam. I also reserve the right to edit, delete or otherwise exercise total editorial discretion over any comments left on this blog.